Opinion: Political laboring

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

Elected officials, or at least those who are Democrats, never actually get Labor Day off. Politicos have to take that day to demonstrate their labor bona fides and line up their support for future campaigns.

In Los Angeles, that means serving up scrambled eggs, hash browns, bacon and sausage (pictured here are Assemblyman Paul Krekorian and U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters, among others) to union members at the annual Labor Day breakfast at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in downtown Los Angeles, then either attending the Labor Day Mass that follows or scooting down the Harbor Freeway to the rally and parade in Wilmington.

It can be an awkward balancing act. Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa counts labor as his strongest political base but represents management in current talks with city unions. Los Angeles County Federation of Labor leader Maria Elena Durazo handled it perfectly:

‘Today our mayor is a strong mediator,’ she told labor activists at the breakfast. ‘He makes sure workers have a fair shot.’

She called Villaraigosa ‘a true partner in rebuilding that middle class,’ then, mixing plaudits and pressure, added: ‘This is how we are going to judge the mayor of Los Angeles.’

Villaraigosa noted that leaders of the city unions applied some pressure of their own.

‘We’re in negotiations right now and they pinned me when I walked in!’ he said, referring to the pin of the new Service Employees International Union Local 721. ‘Holding me accountable! Man, I love that!’

Outside of City Hall and labor circles, it has been little noticed so far that the SEIU has reorganized itself to boost the clout of its public employee members. Until just over a year ago different bargaining units represented workers in the city and county of Los Angeles; now the same SEIU local -- 721 -- represents employees in cities and counties around Southern California.

In Los Angeles, SEIU Local 721 is part of a six-union coalition that is bargaining as a bloc on contracts that expire Sept. 30. In a tight budget year, a breakdown in negotiations and a city labor strike is theoretically possible. But unlikely. The elected Democrats at Monday’s labor breakfast were not looking for trouble, especially as the fundraising and campaign seasons heat up -- for the February 2008 presidential primary, the ballot measure to loosen legislative term limits, the June supervisorial primary, and the big event in next November.